VIS Coffee Talk Series

Technology and empiricism in offshore

design consultancy in the 21st century
- A personal journey

Minh Nguyen, CEng MICE UKROGEP Specialist

Head of Geotechnics Group, DORIS UK

Date 1st June 2023

Topics to cover https://geodata.vn/

https://offshorewind.rvo.nl

Confidential
1/ Challenges and demands to the
engineering consultant in the 21st century

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The
headlines –
does it wake
you up at
night? https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=WXuK6gekU1Y Peter Brookes Times
cartoon, June 1, 2023
 The Clients
want more
quality design
calculations (to
best practice)
and excellent
reports in
more
demanding
timeline
Confidential 5
2/ Technology is the answer

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 Automated design of offshore rock berms
(after Optum Computing 23/05/2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbue_b09ibI)

The OPTUM GX plugin Au2RoxTM, created by Subsea7, Aker BP, and Optum CE can
dramatically reduce the design process for rock berms.

2-a/ Automated With this innovative tool, completing rock berm design, reporting and drawings is now
possible 1000 times faster than traditional methods. The new solution can complete the

design for rock design in less than an hour, reducing the time required for more complex scopes by over
3000 hours. Experience how Au2Rox cut off thousands of engineering hours and made it

berms possible for Subsea7 to reach their deadline several months earlier than anticipated.
 2-b/ GeoData Group (Vietnam)

GeoData (https://geodata.vn/) uses AI and ML to build digitized ground

models in various scales. It also performs automated analyses and
calculations for the building and infrastructure in the country.
Courtesy of Mr. Quan VO (HCM city, Vietnam)

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Using AI to
digitize and
reassess large
database of
site
investigation
(various
sources)
Using ML to
interpret
data at
locations of
interest
Automated
design of
onshore
foundation
s to
relevant
standards /
practices
 2-c/ Predicted synthetic CPT profiles across full
WTG area (TNW project, Netherland by NGI)

See Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) (https://offshorewind.rvo.nl/).

Between 2015 and 2030 the following Wind Farm Zones (21 GW in total capacity)
have been or will be developed in the Dutch part of the North Sea: Borssele,
Hollandse Kust (zuid), Hollandse Kust (noord), Hollandse Kust (west), IJmuiden Ver,
Nederwiek, Ten noorden van de Waddeneilanden, and Doordewind.
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Synthetic CPT prediction for TNW site
2-d/ Efficient calculation of monopile
foundations at Concept Design / early FEED

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Current WTG
size range
and water
depth
Design of MP follow PISA approach
(https://www.imperial.ac.uk/geotechnics/research/research-projects/pisa/)

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 Screening of suitable MP size/depth using 1D
model and automation scripting tool

At DORIS UK, the Geotechnics Group employs PLAXIS Monopile Designer and PLAXIS 3D, together
with our owned developed Python scripting to automate the design and the reporting. Significant
saving in cost and schedule whilst maintaining high reliability calculation/check
3/ The empiricism – where/when
experience count

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Knowing where experience count
 Engineering judgement is key

Excessive LPA
result, not
reflecting the
better soil profile
Looking ahead

Confidential